Come on then - which one gets yer gusset strings tightening ?

I went for "I'm Ronney..."! Yes, I know it is only a minute and a half long, but I like it because it hints at the awesome power that The Fall are imminently (I hope/expect) about to unlease in the next half year or so. Ok, so it is quite a standard style song at the moment, but I reckon that MES is going to turn it into an absolute Fall classic.

OK, so it is not strictly my favourite song on the album, but I like it because of the above reasons... it shows the band are feeling daring and confident to put it out as a "Guest Informant" style snipet.

Infact, the only track I haven't completely fallen in love with so far is "What About Us?", because I think the attempt to turn it into a riff-monster by removing it's chorus isn't completely successful... but it is growing on me the more times I listen to it. And I suppose I can always go and listen to the Peel Session version if I want a more bog-standard verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure. All the tracks feature 'avant garde' production/arrangements though, and so 10/11 total sucesses and one partial sucess isn't bad. At least they are experimenting again!!!

Thanks for saving me a job, Clayts. My copy hasn't arrived from Voiceprint yet. Am I missing much? Or anything?

I think you're missing some interesting reinterpretations. But, as you live in London, wouldn't it have been easier for you to buy it direct from a record shop?

It was a bulk order with the A.A.A. DVDs: seemed to work out cheaper. So your fave track? And is Blindess not great?

Mod Mock Goth for me :applaud:

The version of Blindness here is pre-Peel and it shows.

The killer riff is still there, mind :)

Amen to that Mangoman - I think it'll be a true classic once it's finished :)

I'm thinking Hex 2 next, me...

But what makes you think it'll ever be finished? In any case, MES might think it's finished already... :P

what about us?

also thought this was the best of the new songs when they played at Carling Academy

Mod Mock Goth is good too

I don't think it's bad. maybe it's too early to give an opinion on it.

yes, it really is that bad.

Uhhh... that would depend. There are 3 versions of TRNFLP, and each of them is better than the previous one -- in fact we can be *very* thankful the original wasn't released because it's so astonishingly bad (arrangements similar to The Unutterable, mix and production mushy like AYAMW or peas from your local chip shop).

So if they do the next one properly, it could be great (Blindness, Clasp Hands, Bo Doodak, Shipman, Ronney -- all very strong stuff), but there is the possibility they'll spoil it. Either accidentally or deliberately.

Speaking of which: what the heck is wrong with "Spoilt Victorian Childe"? Is that sound level thing deliberate (like: oh I get the pun, it's spoiled), is it a production problem on part of Voiceprint, who seem to be quite unable to exert quality control over their material (see poor remasters, tracks out of order, etc. on previous releases), or did the master tape simply get mangled somewhere in the process?

If it was deliberate (like the silly fire alarm), the pseudo-botchedness makes the record all very postmodern, but it doesn't really make it more interesting.

It's a great album - raw, awkward, and fresh, the whole thing adds up to the fact that MES won't stand still, even if it means taking risks and fking things up a bit, which this lp does.

I love this record.

I love this record too - I listen to it twice a day and have done for the last week or so as it is in my car and have never once thought of changing it.

I have to admit that the smoke alarm made me jump a few times, though :unsure:

I've really grown to love this album. All of the songs previously on The Real New Fall LP are better here (Sparta FC, Boxoctosis and Green-Eyed...). They sound raw and vital when before they were over-produced and lifeless.

The four new tracks are great.

Only SVC lets it down – are the changing volume levels deliberate?

Green Eyed Snorkel is the best. i really enjoy it.

Does Mark really say "Riddle me this"?
If so, it's yet another Batman reference following:

• Joker Hysterical Face
• Riddler
• Two Face

Obviously a fan...

Err... I hear it less as a ref. to Batman than as a reference to the Scotty DJ cut of [damn, forgotten the name of the tune] - "Riddle I dis, Riddle I dat, guess I dis riddle, an' per'aps nat". It's the one with the really annoying "two lickle birds, sat onna wall" bit, anyway.

Don't forget MES is a big Reggae fan, and I'd expect him to be familiar with the old DJ stuff...

Riddle me this - who are you?

What a classic line! I'd have to go along with the "Batman" influence, to be honest.

However, when Smith copies lines he does tend to phrase them in a similar way to the original (eg "When chewing gum is chewed, the chewer is pursued" - Groucho Marx in Duck Soup). Does he phrase it in a similar way to the reggae thing you mentioned? If so, you may be right. It does sound like Smith's own style of delivery to me though... with the pause and everything...

"Riddle me this" is a traditional trope I'm afraid, & it's been around since the middle ages, & was well-used in Victorian parlour games & publications...it had it's predecessor in Old English poetry aswell. They loved their riddles, them Anglo-Saxons.

Of course, MES may have picked it up from Batman, but it's just as easy he could have come across it in his reading.

Dammit I haven't been able to afford the $30 it's gonna cost me to get it yet. It's killing me.

Maybe I should find a place to download it! ;) Not really!

Its still blindness for me really enjoying how that ones mutating,the version they did last at camber sands was great,can't wait for the album.

i like the words alot in green eyed snorkel. mes is a lyrical poet.

hmm. Is it pseudo, though? It just seems very straightforward to me - must be mark playing around with the volume levels - all for the benefit of our listening.
I like most of these records in which he seems to creep up close to your ear - I'm told it's just crap use of a four-track recording, but it works for me.
In this case they're like some kind of sprite bouncing back, then close - especially effective when you're half conscious.
Access All Areas, volume 2 has this part at the knitting factory - I think near the end of 'cropdust' - when mark sticks his hand in the air to play along with the hi-hat beat, as he walks towards the wings (I was watching with the sound turned down +wondered what he was doing). That's the image that comes to mind now when the fire alarm kicks-in..

The last two minutes of Green-Eyed Snorkel - that's the best bit on the entire album, but it's preceded with five minutes of inaudible gibberish, so that only makes it two-sevenths of a good song.

I suppose Boxoctosis Alarum is tolerable, if totally unessential.

are you being sarcaaaarstic?

I love it too-listened to more of it last night-its fucking rockin thrash for sure, who else would dare to release something like this

and its not like we weren't warned -it being rehearsals and live so just a non-glossy fly on the wall type project.

fave ?

blindness defo stands out-it is an exprss train of a track with the fuzzy bass (?) etc
but green eyed is a relentless piece of garage rock too

Sparta as someone else has pointed out with the unexpected Elleni drop-in

but is this the first time weve heard, on record, Elleni with some extended vocals?
this presages more greatness

marvellous

Truly not. I'd never call it essential listening but for what it is, I'm very happy with it.

There's lots of really good stuff on this, I like this release a lot. But listening to it right now, I realised there can never be a better version of 'Sparta' than the one here. So my vote goes to 'Sparta'.

Listened to this for the first time tonight. Patchy but Sparta and the second half of Green Eyed are great.

just stuck on

tell yous later

Mod Mock Goth

its only album appearance so far (the Track Record would be useful now for verification)

its good

but not many special fall moments for me

spoilt victorian childe comes closest for me

Don't really rate this album very highly. All of the tracks have better versions elsewhere, which makes me partial to a wee bit of Ronney the Oney...

Why is this not on eMusic yet. The CD shop wants exorbitant prices. Can't wait to get back to the States where I can prolly get it used over the Nets.

cos it's crap.

Indeed it is.


Though I quite like tracing the evolution of 'What About Us'.

Completely forgotten about this LP. Played it a few times when it came out but haven't felt any compulsion to play it since.

Reminds me of that Sex Pistols LP - Flogging A Dead Horse.

I don't think this compares favorably to 2G+2, but is still worth having. I really only listen to about a third of it, but that third is worth the ridiculous price I paid for it.

Blanch if you must, but I rate this version of Blindness the equal, though not the better, of Peel. There are other versions, of course, but we won't go there...